Gerard Leonard Frederik Philips (9 October 1858 – 26 January 1942) was a Dutch industrialist and co-founder, with his father Frederik Philips, of

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

as a family business in 1891. In 1912, Gerard and his younger brother Anton Philips converted the business to a corporation by founding NV Philips' Gloeilampenfabrieken.

Career and family

Born to a Dutch family of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

heritage, his father Benjamin Frederik David Philips was a first cousin to

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

(Gerard's paternal grandmother Sophie Pressburg was a sister of Henriette Pressburg, the mother of Karl Marx). His mother was Maria Heyligers. His grandfather was tobacco merchant

Lion Philips Lion Philips (29 October 1794 – 28 December 1866) was a Dutch tobacco merchant. He is the grandfather of Gerard and Anton Philips of Philips Electronics, and was an gait financial supporter of Karl Marx. Early life and family Lion ...

. Gerard Philips became interested in electronics and engineering. His father Frederik financed Gerard's purchase of the old factory building in Eindhoven where he established the first factory in 1891. With his brother he came up with a plan: cost effective, reliable incandescent light bulbs. They initially operated the Philips Company as a family business, with Gerard's younger brother Anton and Anton's son

Frits Philips Frederik Jacques "Frits" Philips (16 April 1905 – 5 December 2005) was the fourth chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips, which his uncle and father founded. For his actions in saving 382 Jews during the Naz ...

and son-in-law

Frans Otten Pieter Franciscus Sylvester "Frans" Otten (31 December 1895 in Berlin – 4 January 1969 in Valkenswaard) was a Dutch business executive, who served as the CEO of the international electronics firm Philips from 1939 to 1961. He was the son-in-l ...

later brought into the business.Koopmans, Joop W, and A H. Huussen. ''Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands.'' Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2007 p.176 On 19 March 1896, Philips married Johanna van der Willigen (30 September 1862 – 1942). They had no children.

Civic activities

Gerard and his brother Anton Philips supported education and social initiatives in Eindhoven, including the Philips Sport Vereniging (Philips Sports Association), which they founded. From it the professional football department developed into the independent Philips Sport Vereniging N.V. (PSV Eindhoven).

References

External links

Biography Gerard Philips (1989)

Gerard Philips
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ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures

Archives of Gerard Philips 1922-1970
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ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures

Archives of Gerard Philips 1962-1965
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ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures
1858 births 1942 deaths People from Zaltbommel Dutch Jews Dutch chief executives in the manufacturing industry Dutch chief executives in the technology industry Chairmen of Philips Delft University of Technology alumni Dutch company founders 20th-century Dutch businesspeople 19th-century Dutch businesspeople {{Netherlands-business-bio-stub